San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-08
CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XIX.
IGNOsfs FAREWELL
Ten days from that eyentful morning
found us once more In our old quarters at
Loo; and, strange 10 say, but little the
worse for our terrible experience, except
that my Stubby hair came out OF that cave
about three shades grayer than II went In,
and that Good never was quite the same
after Foulata's death, which seemed to move
him very greatly. | am bound 10 say that,
looking at the thing from the point of view
of an Oldish man of the world, l consider
her removal was q fortunate occurrence,
since, otherwise, complications would have
been sure 10 cnsue. The poor creature wai
no ordinary native girl, but a person oil
great had almost said stately, beauty, and
Of considerable refinement of mind. But no
amount of beauty or refinement could have
made an ENHANCEMENT between Good and
herself a desirable occurrence; for, as she
herself put it. Can the sun mate with the
darkness or the white with the blackY
| need hardly state that we never again
penetrated into SolOmon's treasure-chamber
After we had recovered from our fatigues, a
process which took us fOrty-eight hours, we
descended into the great pit in the hope OF
finding the hole by which we had crept out
of the mountain, but with no success. To
begin with, rain had fallen, and Obliterated
our spOOr; and what is more, the sides OF the
vast pit were full of ant-bear and other
holes. 1t was impossible to say to which OF
these we owed our salvation. We also, on
the day before we started back to Loo, made
a further examination of the wonders of the
stalactite cave, and, drawn by kind of rest
less feeling, even penetrated once more into
the Chamber of the Dead; and, passing be
meath the spear of the white Death, gaZed,
with sensations which would be quite i'm.
possible for me TO describe, at the mass of
rock which had shut us OFF from escape,
hn "a nf IA
ures beyond, OF the mysterious old hag,
whose ilatteued fragments lay crushed be-
meath ii, and of the fair girl of whose tomb
it was the portal. | gazed at the rock"
for examine as we would, we could find no
traces of the joint of the sliding door; nor,
indeed, could we hit upon the secret, now
utterly lost that worked it, though we tried
for an hour or more. Ii was certainly
marvellous bit of mechanism, characteristic,
in its massive and yet inSCrutable simplicity,
of the age which produced it; and | doubt il
the world has such another to show.
At last we gave it up in disgust, though,
if the mass had suddenly risen before our
eyes, | doubt II we should have screwed up
courage to step over GagOOlS mangled re-
mains, and once more enter the treasure
chamber, even in the sure and uncertain
hope of unlimited diamonds. And yet |
could have cried at the idea of leaving all
that treasure, the biggest treasure probably
that has ever in the worlds history been ac-
cumulated in one spot But there was no
help for it. Only dynamite could force its
way through five feet of solid rock. And 50
we left it. Perhaps In some remote unborn
century, a more fortunate explorer may hit
upon the Open Sesame and flood the
world with gems. But myself, | doubt it.
Somehow, | SEEM to feel that tile millions OF
pounds worth OF gems that lie in the three
Golfers will never shine round the neck of an
earthly beauty. They and FOulata's bones
will keep cold company till the end of all
things.
With sigh of disappointment we made
our way back, and next day started for Loo.
And yet it was really very ungratetul of us
to be disappointed; for, as the reader will re-
member, 1 had, by lucky thought, taken
the pTecautiOn to fill the pockets vi my old
ShOOting-cOat with gems before we LETT our
prlSOn-hOuSe. A good many OF these fell
out in the course OF our roll down the side of
the pit, including most Of the big ones,
which | had cralnmeu III on the top. But
comparatively speaking, an enormous guam
tlty still remained, including eighteen large
stones ranging nom about one Hunured and
thirty CaratS in weight My Old shooting
coat still held enough treasure to make us
all, If not mllllOnarcS at ieast exceedingly
wealthy men, and yet 10 keep enough stones
each to make the three finest sets OF gems in
Europe. So We hdu not done 50 badly.
On arriving at Loo We were NOS cordial
ly received by l@nDSI, whom we found well,
and busliy engaged IN consolidating his
powers, and rrOISMIlZIng the regiments
which mad suffered most IA the great Strug-
gle with Iwala.
He listened with GREATNESS interest to our
wonderful story, DuI when we told him of
Old GagOOPs irgnttul end he grew thought
full.
Come hither," he called to very old
induna (COuncLUD, VINO was sitting with
others in Il circle round the king, but out of
ear-snoL The old man rose, approached,
saluted and seated himself.
Thou art DID," said lgnOsl.
'Ay, my lori the king"
Tell me, when thou vast little, didst
thou know GagOOl the witCh-dOctressp'
"Ay, my lord the kingr'
GLOW was she then-yOung, like theeP'
Not so, my lord the king! She was even
as now; old and dried, very ugly, and full OF
wickednesS.'
'She is no more she is dead"
SO, oh, king! then a curse is taken from
the land"
Cop
"Koom! / go, black puppy, who tore out
the old dogs throat. KOOmp
"He see, my brothers, said IgnOsi, this
was strange woman, and rejoice that she
is dead. She woui have let We die in the
dark place, and mdyhap afterward she had
found way 10 Stay me as she found way
to STAY my father, and set up Twala, whom
her heart love l., in Ills place. Now go on
with the tale; surely there never was the
likep'
After had narrated all the story of our
escape, |, rs we iIad agreed ietween our.
selves that should, TOOK the opportunity to
address lgnOsi as to our departure from Ku.
kuanaland.
And now, IgnOs, the time has come for
us to bid thee farewell, and start to seek once
more our own land. Behold, lgnOsi, with
us tnOu earnest a servant, and now we leave
thee Il mighty king If thou art grateful TO
Us, remember 10 go even as thou didSt pro-
mise; To rule justly, 10 respect law, and TO
put none to death without u cause. So shalt
thou prosper Tomorrow, ut break of day,
lgnDsl, wilt thOH give us an escort who shall
lead us across the mountains? Is it not so,
U king|'
lgnUsi covered his face with his hands for
awhile before answering
My heart is sore" he said, at last; ''yOuT
words split my heart in twain. What have
done to ye, lncubu, Macumazahn, and
BOugwan, that ye should leave me deSOlate?
e who stood by me in rebellion and in bat
tie, will ye leave me in the day of peace and
victory? What VIII ye-wiyes? Choose
from out the land! A place to live in? Be
hold, the land is yours as far rs We can see.
The white mans houses? Ye shall teach
my people how 10 build them. Cattle for
beef and milk? Every married man shall
bring we an OK or cow. Wild game 10 hunI2
Does not the elephant walk through my for
ests, and the riYcT-hOrse sleep in the reeds?
Would We make war? My iinpis tregiments)
wait your word. Ii there is anything more
that can give, that will give ye."
Nay, lgnOSi, We want not these things"
answered; we would seek our own
place"
Now do perceive" said IgnOsi, bitter
ly, and with flashing eyes, "that il is the
stones that ye love more than me, your
Friend. 1e have THE stones, now would YOU
go 10 Natal anu acruss the moving black
water and sell them, ami be rich, as il is the
desire of white mans heart to be. Cursed